An itchy ring finger


And is it just me or is Carole downright giddy today?

42 Comments

  • Anonymous says:

    My mother wouldn't count She's beyond help. But it might help some eleses mother. You have to believe me when I say this.
    Truth cleanes

  • Anonymous says:

    Rumour has it that Carole is set to marry Richie.

    It's sad, because for someone that remains a 'virgin' in her mid 40's, that she has chosen to officially hide behind the mask of her gay boss. It's been said that she could never come to terms with her father's sexual abuse as a teen. Raised by grand parents, she might now believe that she is sparing her mom. Truth hurts, but it heals and builds a stronger foundation and future. Lies, coverups always affect more than one and fester worse for all. Our maker surely be the essence of truth, he gives courage to those who act on it and to those who assist others. If eternity be light, then light can only be truth. Journalist codes, our societal laws – they either mean something or they don't. Ask, Hurricane Carter, he is a far better man now, by his own admission. Justice came because he fought and believed.

    A woman could heal herself to,if she chooses to be a woman – both for her self and as example to others that suffer. A working obligation – 'truth in journalism', but a choice as woman. It's her choice. Have courage to change mind, body and spirit -the powerlessness of youth has no shame – it is a trial that is over if one wants it over. The test now is to help self and others. She could follow the very examples of people she interviewed and take heart in their self rising. They chose to let someone in their lives that counted – not a liar or a theif. Art imitates life, let life emerge from art.

    Surrogates, exorcism and banishment of T. Burman didn't help. Interviewing other abused women did little, because one must reflect in and let those who care help. Help another, help thy self. Don't sell one's self worth to cover up the bigger hidden scandle of a gay boss – he's chosen his lifestyle and can't come to terms with it. It's an office joke,(it's also been said that he's been abusive to other men)Don't make a monied arrangement with him.

    It's said that the boss's wife left him because of his mid life 'switch' and then he in turn abandoned her, in her time of medical need. All can see what he's doing to the CBC – but the gutlessness and sheer bullying has gone to far now. He has the whole station cowed

    Why should anyone care?
    Because Carole will be wasting her jounalistic integrity and sooner or later the depression she thinks she is avoiding, will eventually claw back in, worse. Far better to deal with it openly, like others at the CBC have done. Sunlight cleanes. Maintain a standard of dignity and journalist integrity that brought one to the business. Interview your self Carole.

    The Royal Air Farce is gone – they didn't want to go. Now a new one is needlessly emerging – an aging, unloved B – actress, hiding in NEWSWORLD cable and giving up on everything that could be true and good in her world to the discredibility of a has-been and what everyone knows, to be Richie's fluff.

    Stand up Carole and walk away while their is still time. Do the job you love like it should be done – with truth and vigor. There are others of value that you walked from because you lacked courage to stay. Now you need courage to walk away from this one.

    Rumour also has it that Ritchie has political ambitions. All part of the plan? Does the Province need another Harris?

    I think not. With Harris you know what you got. In this case it would be worse. Can't even honour his father's memory at CBC with the truth.

    Sad for many, if this all be the choice of one.

    Standup, Stand tall and Walk!

  • Anonymous says:

    From ‘I’, to ‘V’, to c tease to media manufactured Fag Hag cronyism, to paid surrogate, to the next closest work associate, the latest ‘bi’ isn’t lingual.

  • Anonymous says:

    Hey, Carole’s learning French because Richie wants to be Premier.
    Probably figures he can appoint himself to TVO.
    Why would Harper keep a G sex preadator anyway?

  • Anonymous says:

    Did Carole lose her big audacious rings or Richard give them to Havard G.?

  • Anonymous says:

    I think they have a very eunuch relationship.

  • Anonymous says:

    Does Tony know about all that boffing he was doing?
    Maybe he knows, but just don’t remember.

  • Anonymous says:

    I thought the up to date photos from the show were excellent. I mean the large colour photo of Carole in the National Post last fall, excellent for sure, but it seems more of a stock photo from years ago. I wonder why the Post celebrity reporter never took any live photos at the event he covered? Media Profile, that sort of speaks for itself maybe, They manufacture Liberal spin don’t they?

  • Anonymous says:

    Let’s not get nasty.
    What’s really nasty is the gay procurement rumour circulating the station and who’s under whose thumb!
    So much for journalistic integrity.

  • Anonymous says:

    You’d be itchy too if you came in contact with Ritchie’s thumbs that were up Bettman’s bum for a year of closet negotiation – southern style!

  • Anonymous says:

    Budda bing, budda bing
    A mighty big bling
    For a chastity ring!

  • Anonymous says:

    MacNeil could do alot better with her horse – at least she could legitimately ride it, it’s alot better looking and the bit wouldn’t get lost in the jowls.

  • Anonymous says:

    Why is Carole hiding behind her Gay boss? What is she hiding from her past? You would think that it would be therapeutic to come to terms with it openly and move on.

  • Anonymous says:

    Why would Carole be with a gay man?

  • Aigle De Nuit says:

    To paraphrase not someone 6 feet under but about 30 feet due east of me.

    “The CBC has no business in the bedrooms of its’employees”

    ….that’s what hotels are for.


    (Please contact your regional Amex travel partner, or the SSO for more details)

  • Joe Clark says:

    ’œNeed to know’ is not the, or even a, criterion in news reporting, except, arguably, in matters of public health and safety. Issues like truth, relevancy, and newsiness (did it happen recently?) are viable criteria.

  • Allan says:

    Is the reckless CBC Drone still kicking about?

  • Anonymous says:

    People let’s get one thing out of the way. Antonia is the best media reporter in Canada period. Now as to this sordid affair I can only say that judging from the reaction in the Broadcast Centre, it was the biggest story to hit the CBC since 911….or Pamela Wallin. I think the reason is that Stursberg is so loathed by those who work there, that having Carole boink him isn’t just a horrible thought. In the aftermath of the lockout it’s practically treason. I very much fear that when the revolution comes she’ll have to have her head shaved. But then Carole is loathed by all those who have the misfortune of working with her. So that kind of cancels things out. I would only worry when she starts reading the National.crt But Justin please let’s get serious. How can anyone complain to Burman? Didn’t he boink her first? Please don’t leave out any of the episodes in this steamy soap opera. I’m really enjoying it!!! :) It kind of symbolizes for me the tawdry mediocre state of the CBC these days. If you don’t believe me check out Newsworld some afternoon. There’s more celebrity gossip and stupid pet tricks in one afternoon, than Antonia has ever written about. As for whether it’s a marriage made in hell or heaven.I’ll leave it to our soapy lovers to figure that one out.The way I see it they deserve each other.

  • Allan says:

    Is the internet largely a network of megalomaniacs and perverts?
    Yes. Yes, it is.

    Another unique milestone of our age has been the announcement of The Canadian Blog Awards.

    It’s interesting that our typical vision of the internet-compulsive is the comic book guy, yet the significant winners are women.
    Congratulations to Antonia.
    The Winner, of more than one category, has set the bar pretty high.
    And PS I hope everyone got my earlier reference to Raquel Welch as being a scene from Seinfeld, and not a characterization of of the lovely Ms. MacNeil.

  • what? says:

    Just wait until Dick locks her out again…

  • Justin Beach says:

    I don’t want to be too hard on Antiona either, I agree with Allan on this point:

    “Same high regard as ever for a real reporter with plenty of nerve and integrity and true to journalism with the initials AZ.”

    I just think this one was the wrong call and there isn’t anyone I agree with 100% of the time – not even myself (once the benefit of hindsight kicks in).

  • Antonia Z says:

    And that one, Justin, I am not touching with a 10 foot boom pole.

  • Kevin says:

    “Really, then who is the lucky producer who gets to go to complain to the executive vice president about it?”

    See, if that had actually happened, that would be news, and reporting on it would be journalism. Otherwise office gossip – and what’s more pathetic, from someone else’s office…

  • Anonymous says:

    I would assume, and I could be wrong, that the executive producer would complain to Burman and Burman would talk to Stursburg.

    First Patsy, then Cynthia, then Burman. There are many layers to prevent favourites being played. And NCAN is, by necessity, pretty autonomous. I doubt Burman would let Stursburg do much more than rant and/or rave. (And possibly throw something.)

    The real question is whether everyone knows this. If there is a perception of bias, then behaviour will change despite the layers of protection.

    Incidentally, Richard (if you’re reading this), this is the reason you need to stay upstairs. Playing doctor with the talent, while having a desk in the newsroom, does not make for good HR policy.

    Yeash.

  • Justin Beach says:

    You’re right Antonia, thanks for calling me on that. They are just rumours. I personally haven’t witnessed anything, or heard a statement from either party involved about it. So, as far as I’m concerned they are still rumours. Someone, probably Rabinovich, should definitely ask them though – find out for sure.

    who is the lucky producer who gets to go to complain to the executive vice president about it?

    I would assume, and I could be wrong, that the executive producer would complain to Burman and Burman would talk to Stursburg. If all exec producers report directly to the V.P. with staff/performance issues I’m unaware of it.

  • Justin Beach says:

    “And if I’m the one who has to tell Carole “Raquel Welch” MacNeil that she can’t walk and needs to bring her best game then I need to know my boss has my back.Or shall we just skip the performance appraisal because who are we kidding, Carole, you’re renewed! at higher pay! and you’re going to have your own “Carole & Rita Show”, and feel free to throw a fit at anything nearby if it will help your performance.”

    Ok, if all of management, and everyone in news, and human resources and the CMG, and all of the other key players know how does having the people down the street at Starbucks (not to mention the Tim Hortons in Thunder Bay) know about this help you?

  • Justin Beach says:

    I’m not trying to do Ms. MacNeil any favours, simply stating an opinion.

  • Antonia Z says:

    So Justin believes that any changes in MacNeil’s status or perks or whatever would be “carefully scrutinized at all levels.”

    Really, then who is the lucky producer who gets to go to complain to the executive vice president about it?

    The atmosphere is pretty tense as it is, or haven’t you noticed?

    And I notice know you acknowledge that ”everybody in the corp already knew” when earlier you were saying “rumours” were “circulat(ing)”

  • Allan says:

    Is it legitimate journalism or is it gossip, seems to be one issue here.
    As for Antonia, I doubt that any man here can match her work.

    It’s coincidentally the same question posed by Carole and Evan in the clip.
    Wikipedia weighs in to define gossip and journalism.
    But who has time to read that crap.

    Having heard from the Ombudsman, Justin, then speaking as Auditor General, I need to know if that business trip the two of you went on was necessary or just a vacation.
    And if I’m the one who has to tell Carole “Raquel Welch” MacNeil that she can’t walk and needs to bring her best game then I need to know my boss has my back.
    Or shall we just skip the performance appraisal because who are we kidding, Carole, you’re renewed! at higher pay! and you’re going to have your own “Carole & Rita Show”, and feel free to throw a fit at anything nearby if it will help your performance.

    Reminds me of that hauntingly beautiful nest that Coupland spat out.

  • Anonymous says:

    You are not doing Ms, MacNeil any favours by evoking the name of Ms. Lewinsky. Quit while you’re ahead.

  • Justin Beach says:

    Perhaps I just come from a slightly different school on things like this.

    Remember the whole Clinton/Lewinski thing? My take on it all along was that, unless someone could demonstrate that there had been an effect on security, or policy etc., that it was an issue between the Clinton’s and Ms. Lewinski and not really anyone else’s business. There was not a pressing reason why the world needed to know and Clinton (for those of you not really following along) was the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth at the time.

    Now, I love the CBC but it’s effect on the global economy or international peace and stability is minimal. I, like most readers of this blog, heard about this before it hit the paper and I agree that it’s an issue for the CBC that needs to be addressed. If I had woken up this morning and found that Ms. MacNeil had taken over Mansbridge’s job, or Burmans or even Don Cherry’s (as entertaining as that might be) then the relationship would certainly be newsworthy on a national scale.

    Under the circumstances though, everyone in the corp already knew (or would have learned very quickly) about the relationship. Ms. MacNeil, as far as I know, has received no special treatment to date and I’m sure that any change in job status by her would have been carefully scrutinized at all levels. It seems to me that everyone who needed to know did know, and that there were no issues to be resolved as a result of the relationship so far. So, to me anyway, it simply doesn’t qualify as either newsworthy or ‘need to know’ information for all of Canada.

  • Kevin says:

    “These are legitimate journalistic questions”

    In an organization and country with no other issues whatsoever, it’d still just be gossip. Which is fun, but it’s not journalism.

  • Anonymous says:

    Gossipy, yes, but news just the same. One of the two, relatively high profile figures in corporation, has to resign so as to avoid appearances of favouritism or influence. That’s basic professional propriety. In this case it is publically funded Corporation so it is media news of broad public interest. AZ was just working her beat, however salacious or distasteful the details.

  • Allan says:

    Interesting how the discourse started off, and I agree, Justin, that rumours are terrible.
    Yet here of course we’re dealing with facts.
    So what’s below the belt about the truth?
    Whose sex life is sacrosanct or anything less than obvious?
    There’s a policy in the work place about these relationships and for a good reason.
    Remember George Kostanza and the cashmere sweater?
    And rule number one is that it has to be out in the open.
    If I was them I’d be flattered that my boinking made it to a real newspaper and not just a blog.
    The real story here is that AZ beat them to it.
    Why?
    Shouldn’t they have been first out of the gate with this and talk freely to a reporter about it?
    Don’t stick your nose in the air and tell me it’s none of my business, because I need to know the chain-of-command here up-front if we’re going to have an honest workplace.
    I shouldn’t have to explain any of this.

    Answer me this instead. Who is the real reporter in this scenario?
    AZ who works hard to get her story and her sources and give everyone a chance to set the record straight

    OR

    Some well-intentioned gumshoe sitting in a so-called London office reading the same copy out loud as every network has to an anchor in Toronto who already knows all that stuff, live via satellite.
    That’s CBC Morning News.
    Where in Allah’s name is the sense in that ?
    Is the CBC just giving away money?
    He looks like a pathetic Jon Stewart skit.
    Broadcasters must think we’re asleep to present such a lame effort.
    But we’re not, and that’s why no one watches that waste of time.
    I’d rather wake up to Richard Simmons every morning than this group of slackers who seem only concerned with not tripping over their words and killing a couple of hours (which belong to me by the way, and MY time is valuable, even if the CBC doesn’t think so).
    At least with Richard I know I have someone who really cares about me, and thinks I’m a worthwhile person.

  • Antonia Z says:

    Justin, they’re not “rumours.” They are facts, facts ManNeil is happily relating to her coworkers.

    This speaks to how the relationship was disclosed.

    If I were gossiping I would have reported on MacNeil’s and Stursberg’s other relationships that some people might deem relevant.

    The real issue is, how will potential conflicts of interest be handled? And why didn’t Stursberg warn the news department?

    These are legitimate journalistic questions, and believe me they are being asked within the corridors of CBC News.

  • Anonymous says:

    “It spread across the network yesterday: MacNeil and CBC-TV executive vice-president Richard Stursberg, who had been seen together at industry functions such as a recent Canadian Film Centre party, were now an item.”

    When I read this I tossed my cookies.

  • Allan says:

    And I must point out how amazing it is to see this posted within only hours of it being broadcast.
    Really, it beats everything.
    Come on, Justin, is that not like totally cool and groundbreaking for a blog? in Canada?
    Amazing, amazing, amazing.

  • Allan says:

    Beautiful post!
    That’s one hot, happy mama.
    Bravo, ~O. And here I thought you weren’t going near it with a ten foot (three Meters) pole.
    What nerve.
    You still surprise and delight.
    In Your Honor, this byte’s for you!
    (and no, don’t take those pictures down)

    Same high regard as ever for a real reporter with plenty of nerve and integrity and true to journalism with the initials AZ.

  • Anonymous says:

    Why do you think Antonia is talented? She’s a failed TV reporter and now she has reduced herself to a salacious purveyor of media gossip. How low is that?

  • Anonymous says:

    I can see why Antonia ran with her “scoop,” but it was still pretty tacky, especially for a writer with her talents.

  • Anonymous says:

    I agree with Justin and I’™ll add my .02 worth, it’™s spiteful and offensive. Grow up

  • Justin Beach says:

    I hope she’s happy, honestly. Having rumours about your love life circulate in the office is one thing, but I thought that having them published in the Star was a tad below the belt. Just my .02

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